Scottish Water workers begin week of strike action amid pay deal row
Members of GMB Scotland and other unions are striking from Monday for seven consecutive days at the publicly-owned organisation, with a mass rally planned in Glasgow on Wednesday.
Workers at GMB Scotland backed industrial action after the water company reduced the terms of a pay offer that had already been rejected, according to the union, which claimed that executives received record bonuses last year.
(Image: Image: Newsquest) Unionised staff voted against an offer of 3.4% or £1,400 covering the last nine months as the company changed the date for annual rises from July to April.
The company branded industrial action 'unnecessary' and said seven offers have been made since June 2024.
Scottish Water's latest offer would see an average pay increase of around 7% over two years (2024/25 and 2025/26), in addition to a 3.5% yearly salary increase. It called for 'sensible' negotiations from the unions, rejecting suggestions that emergency works would be impacted.
READ NEXT: Keir Starmer pledges to raise defence spending but won't rule out other cuts
In a marginal majority, 51% of Unison workers employed by the water supplier voted to reject the pay offer, and 49% voted to accept. The turnout was 86%.
GMB said 60% of its members voted against the offer, and 40% chose to accept, on a turnout of 78%, while statistics were not provided by Unison.
Now, Scottish ministers are being urged to get involved in the dispute, which began in June 2024.
(Image: Image: Newsquest) GMB Scotland organiser Claire Greer wrote to secretary for net zero Gillian Martin, raising concerns about the failure to resolve the dispute.
Ms Greer said: 'It is impossible to know whether Scottish Water is playing games or simply inept, but the relentless progress of this dispute towards industrial action could have been halted at any time with open and straightforward negotiations.
'Instead, we have been given a series of needlessly complicated offers, one worse than the last, as managers spend more time attempting to undermine staff unions than delivering a fair offer.
'It needs to stop and if Scottish Water do not know how, ministers must explain public money is being risked by a dispute that should have been settled months ago.
'The public deserves better and workers deserve a fair pay offer.'
READ NEXT: Scottish Labour Councillor defects to Reform UK
Peter Farrer, chief operating officer at Scottish Water, said: 'This week's industrial action is unnecessary. It will mean union members losing valuable wages and add extra costs to the business which are ultimately paid for by customers.
'We invited the joint trade unions to talk over the weekend but unfortunately they refused to meet without preconditions.
'Given how close the vote against our latest pay offer was, we felt a resolution was possible and would be welcomed by all our colleagues.
'It is now time for the joint trade union leadership to return to the table with a sensible solution that ends this dispute.
'In the meantime, we have robust plans in place to maintain essential services should the trade unions press ahead with their strike action.'
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: 'Ministers have set out their policy in relation to public sector pay.
'It is a matter for Scottish Water and its unions to agree a settlement within the constraints of that policy and affordability.
'The Scottish Government urges both parties to resume negotiations to find an agreement.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mirror
35 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
Major change to free school meal rules unveiled - saving parents up to £500
Keir Starmer unveiled plans to extend free school meals to all kids in families who get Universal Credit, in a move that could save parents up to £500 a year - in a victory for the Mirror More than half a million children will become eligible for free school meals from next year in a game-changing boost for families. Keir Starmer unveiled plans to extend the lifeline benefit to all kids in families who get Universal Credit in England, in a move that could save parents up to £500 a year. It marks a victory for the Mirror's long-running campaign to widen provision to stop children being too hungry to learn. The Prime Minister praised our campaign, and told Mirror readers: "My government will leave no stone unturned in our pursuit to give every child the best start in life." Teachers, doctors, and child poverty campaigners have long called for an overhaul of strict eligibility rules, which mean around 900,000 children living in poverty don't qualify. Currently, all children in England can get free school meals until the end of Year 2 but after that they only qualify if their family gets certain benefits. Youngsters whose families claim Universal Credit only qualify if their household earns less than £7,400-a-year after benefits. But from September 2026, all children in UC households will be able to get a free, nutritious hot meal. More than 500,000 kids are expected to benefit from the change, and the Government said it would lift 100,000 children out of poverty. Writing in the Mirror, the Prime Minister said: "I want every child to have every opportunity and the best support to aim high, achieve good grades, and get the best education possible. "That starts with the basics - it's common sense that children can't do well at school if they're hungry." He added: "It will put £500 in parents' pockets, help children achieve at school, and ease cost-of-living pressures. "The Mirror has long campaigned on free school meals, so I'm delighted that we're able to make this announcement today." Expanding free school meal provision can not only save parents money on packed lunches but also improve children's health, drive up school attendance and improve behaviour and concentration. Research by School Food Matters last year found 38% of teachers reported that pupils in their classes were regularly too hungry to learn. Some 24% of heads said their school was operating a foodbank. Some 2.1 million pupils - almost one in four (24.6%) - in England were eligible for free school meals in January 2024. The numbers have soared since the start of the Covid pandemic - when 1.44 million children were eligible - in a sign of the pressures on household budgets. The decision comes as pressure mounts on the Government to do more to address rising levels of child poverty. Former PM Gordon Brown said last month that Labour must act now to help "austerity's children" as 4.8 million kids could be living in hardship by 2029. Ministers have delayed publication of a long-promised plan to the autumn amid calls from Labour MPs to scrap the Tory-era two-child benefit limit, which has been blamed for pushing families into hardship. Campaigners hailed the decision to widen free school meal provision as a "game changer" for families struggling with cost of living pressures. Nick Harrison, chief executive of the Sutton Trust social mobility charity, said: "This is a significant step towards taking hunger out of the classroom. "Children can't learn effectively when hungry, so this announcement not only helps to tackle the effects of child poverty, but will also likely help improve education outcomes for disadvantaged young people. Kate Anstey, head of education policy at Child Poverty Action Group said: "This is fantastic news and a game-changer for children and families. "At last more kids will get the food they need to learn and thrive and millions of parents struggling to make ends meet will get a bit of breathing space." Daniel Kebede, General Secretary of the National Education Union, which campaigned alongside the Mirror, said: 'The National Education Union is proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with our campaign partner the Mirror in celebrating this historic win. "After years of joint campaigning, knowing tens of thousands more children will benefit from a hot, healthy school meal is the good news NEU members have been waiting for. "But we won't stop there. The cost of living still impacts too many children, so we continue to call for Free School Meals for all. "Let's make sure there is no child left behind.' Liberal Democrat Education Spokesperson, Munira Wilson said: " Liberal Democrats have been pushing hard for this crucial change for years. It's a victory for thousands of passionate campaigners that the Government has finally listened." She urged the Government to look at auto-enrolling eligible kids so parents aren't put off by paperwork and to consider scrapping the two-child benefit limit.
Telegraph
43 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Reeves forced to back down in net zero row with Miliband
Ed Miliband has defeated an attempt by Rachel Reeves to raid one of his key net zero programs in next week's spending review, The Telegraph understands. The Treasury has for months been considering cuts to the £13.2 billion warm homes plan, which aims to insulate properties and make them more energy efficient. But Mr Miliband, the Energy Security Secretary, and Ms Reeves, the Chancellor, are understood to have reached an agreement in the past few days after fraught negotiations and the scheme will remain largely unaffected. The agreement is a boost for net zero supporters in government, chief among them Mr Miliband, who have warned against scaling back green plans. It will also likely be regarded as a sign of the Chancellor's waning influence as Downing Street seeks to placate backbenchers unhappy over spending cuts. The decision is expected to please the Left wing of the party, which is threatening to rebel against Sir Keir Starmer's plans to make cuts to welfare and has been emboldened by a memo sent to Ms Reeves by Angela Rayner, the Deputy Prime Minister, demanding tax rises. However, it could complicate attempts, spearheaded by Number 10, to counter Reform, which is surging in support on a net zero sceptic platform and could outperform Labour in a Scottish by-election seat on Thursday. Spokesmen for the Treasury, the Energy Security Department and Number 10 all declined to comment, with announcements being unveiled at the spending review on Wednesday. Mr Miliband's victory can be disclosed hours after Ms Reeves warned that she would be tough with some Cabinet colleagues. Delivering a speech in Rochdale on Wednesday morning, the Chancellor said that 'not every department will get everything that they want next week' as she has had to 'say no' to things that she would support in an ideal world. Following a major about-turn by Sir Keir to appease backbenchers, millions of pensioners will be handed back their annual winter fuel payments of up to £300 next week, when the details of a reversal in last year's cut are announced. Some wealthy pensioners will still not receive the payment – meaning confusion continues on what the new policy will become – and it is unclear how the reversal will be funded. Meanwhile, the Government has announced that there will be £1 billion for an extra 500,000 free school meals over the next three years, lifting an estimated 100,000 children out of deprivation. Cabinet ministers have been locked in negotiations with the Treasury for months over the spending review, which will set out day-to-day departmental budgets for the next three years. Mr Miliband, the former Labour leader who heads up the net zero brief in government, was one of the few remaining Cabinet ministers still battling the Treasury this week. Sources last week were forced to deny reports he 'stormed out' of a meeting with Darren Jones, Chief Secretary to the Treasury, amid a row over cuts. Ms Rayner is also said to have clashed with the Chancellor over the spending review, with sources previously claiming she had complained 'forcibly' about proposed cuts to housing. But The Telegraph understands Mr Miliband has now reached agreement with Ms Reeves and has seen off an attempt to raid a major net zero scheme. The warm homes plan is an initiative to lift more than 1 million households out of fuel poverty by 2030, reducing energy bills as well as making houses more energy-efficient. It includes investment to insulate homes – thereby making them more energy-efficient – and grants for heat pumps. Labour promised an extra £6.6 billion for the plan in its general election manifesto last summer, taking the total to be spent on the program to £13.2 billion. A hint that Ms Reeves had given ground came on Wednesday morning when she said publicly that manifesto promises would be kept to in the spending review. The negotiations with ministers have been fraught because, despite a £300 billion boost to spending this parliament, some departments still face real-terms cuts in the years ahead. It has prompted protests from a string of departments and public officials, with police chiefs warning the Prime Minister that cuts would force them to decide which crimes to investigate. The politics of the Government have been shifting over its legal commitment to make the UK a 'net zero' carbon emitter, complicating Labour's approach. Kemi Badenoch, the Conservative leader, has withdrawn her support for the target, making one of her first policy commitments of office the insistence that achieving the ambition by 2050 is 'impossible'. The repositioning, which comes despite it being the Conservatives under Theresa May who brought in the legal target, moves the Tories closer to Reform's position on net zero. Nigel Farage's party wants to scrap the policy entirely. Opinion polls show that while the public support hitting net zero, that drops markedly when voters are asked if they are willing to take a financial hit to achieve it. Mr Miliband has been the driving force behind the Government's net zero stance. Others in the Labour movement, including leading trade unions, oppose the new North Sea oil licence ban. The Energy Secretary's win comes after he lost battles over the expansion of Heathrow Airport and clashed with Sir Tony Blair when the former prime minister raised doubts over whether net zero was feasible.
Scottish Sun
an hour ago
- Scottish Sun
Winter fuel payment U-TURN could give Scots £70million cash boost
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) RACHEL Reeves' winter fuel payments u-turn could give Scotland a £70million boost, experts said yesterday. The Chancellor confirmed payments will be reinstated for some pensioners by tweaking the means test that left millions of people frozen out last year. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 3 The vital fuel payment is set to be reinstated by UK Government Credit: Alamy 3 The u-turn will increase funding available to the Scottish Government Credit: PA Bea Boileau of the Institute of Fiscal Studies said: 'This will increase funding available for the Scottish Government. "How much will depend on how many pensioners WFP is extended to.' Ms Reeves said today: 'People should be in no doubt that the means test will increase and more people will get winter fuel payment this winter. 'We will set out how everything will be paid for at the budget in the autumn.' It comes after Labour slashed entitlement to the payments of up to £300 from around a million Scots to fewer than 200,000 last year. The Scottish Government has already pledged £100 heating payments to every pensioner. SNP Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: 'It still sounds as if the UK Government is planning to target vulnerable pensioners to help balance the books.' We previously told how over one million state pensioners in Scotland are to benefit from a new winter fuel payment. The winter fuel payment was replaced with the pension age winter heating payment (PAWHP) last year, as part of the devolution of welfare powers. First Minister John Swinney confirmed last month that a new universal payment for older Scots is to be introduced. It will be worth up to £300. Mr Swinney said he will not leave OAPs struggling due to "Labour broken promises". He added: "It is so inexplicable that one of the first things Keir Starmer did when he became Prime Minister was to cut this vital lifeline for our pensioners. 'Labour scrapping the Winter Fuel Payment was a complete betrayal – up there with Thatcher's poll tax or Nick Clegg on tuition fees. "I am not willing to see Scottish pensioners left to struggle because of Labour broken promises. "So we listened to what people were telling us and we took action. "That means older people in Scotland will receive this crucial support before we get into the worst of the winter weather – and unlike Labour, we will never abandon this vital support for our pensioners. That is my guarantee." The new pension age winter heating payment will be dished out by November 30, St Andrew's Day, this year.
